Valve-inserting method and mechanism



Nov. 18, 1930. D. F.' O'BRIEN VALVE INSERTING METHOD AND MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 18, 1925 Nov. 18, 1930. D. F. O'BRIEN ,59

' 'IALVE INSERTING METHOD AND MECHANISM Filed July 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 h'illli iii/l Patented Nov. 18, 1930 Parent OFFICE nnnrs F. OBRIEN, or EAST ORANGE, new JERSEY VAILVE-INSER'VIING METHOD1AND MECHANISM,

Application filed July 18,

This invention relates to improvements in methods of and mechanisms for inserting valves in pipes ormains under pressure and without stopping the flow of the water or other liquid therethrough, an improved apparatus of this kind being shown in my prior Patent-1,17e,342, dated March 7, 1916. For brevity pipe will he used hereinafter as including mains.

The-apparatus shown and described therein, which illustrates with substantial correctness the valve inserting methodand mechanismin use prior to my invention, embodies a casing splitlongitudinally into upper and lower sections and temporarily applied to the pipe'jwhere the valve is tobe inserted and the upper oneof which has an opening at which a dome is secured to it, this'dome havinga' removable top; In this dome top there is mounted a pipe cutting mechanism which during the cutting operation projects into the casing with its cutters engaging the pipe,

and after such operation is completed this cutting mechanism is withdrawn from the casing and into the dome, carrying with it the cut section of pipe. Communication between thecasing is then-closed and the dome is then cutoff by a gate, the dome top is reinoved'and the cutting mechanism and-section of cut pipe removed from the dome. The valve and the means for supporting it and moving it from the dome into the casing are then inserted in the dome, such supporting and'moving means belng mounted ln'the dome top, which isreturned to the dome.

The gate before referred tois then opened and the valve moved into the casing and "between the cut ends ofthe pipe." Then, after adjusting the valve longitudinallyand transversely of the pipe, with a water tight connection between it and the cut ends of the pipe,-the casing is removed, the upper section thereof with its dome being preferably removed first, the space between the valve hubs and pipe then calked (with lead, for example) and the lower section then removed. The means for operating the cutting mechanism and moving it out' of the casing and into, thedome, for moving the gate referred to andfor moving-the valve into the cut out 1925. Serial No. 44,494.

portion ofthe pipe and adjusting it there,

be briefly stated here in connection with the apparatus itself.

The temporary casing of my prior patent is dispensed with and there is used, for the a performance of its'functions, as well asothers not performed by it, a horizontally arranged valve body which is permanently applied to the pipe so as toenclose it and alsoenclose the cutting mechanism previously applied to the pipe and to support the latter during the completion otthe operation.

This valve body has an open end which pro jects beyond the pipeinto suitable position for the reception of temporary, horizontally arranged casing carrying means for operating' the cutting mechanism and into which the severed'section of pipe and with it the cutting mechanism are withdrawn after the pipe cutting operation, this casing beir rovided with means for supporting and guiding the cutting mechanism during its withdrawal.

After such withdrawal this casing is removed and a valve dome carrying a pair of" valve disks and trimmings is secured to the' open end of the valve body. Before the tem porary casing can be removed, however, the open end of the valvebody, or communication betweenthe valvebody and this temporary casing, must be closed to shut off passage of Water from the pipe to the atmosphere through the valve body. For this purpose the valve body has mounted on-it a temporary dome projecting upwardly from it and provided with a gate movable downwardly and upwardly into and out of a vertical aperture in the valve body near its open end. Normally, and during the pipe cutting operation and the withdrawal of the cutting mechanism from the valve body, this gate is in its upper position but when the cutting mechanism. is withdrawn fromfthe valve body it is lowered rary casing (then containing the cutting mechanism) may then be detached from the valve bod and the valve dome secured to the latter without shutting off the pressure in the pipe. r

The temporary dome containing the gate is then removed from the valve body but, as this dome is in communication with the interior of the valve body and pipe, this cannot be done without previously shutting oil the pressure in the pipe unless means be provided, as in the present case, to render this unnecessary. The means here provided con sists of a sliding plate suitably guided and supported onthe valve body and movable horizontally into and out of closing relation to the aperture in the valve body into and out of which the gate just referred to is vertically movable to open and close communication he tween the valve body and the temporary casin carr 'in means for o eratineithe cuttin D C) 2') b mechanism. VVhen'this sliding plate ismoved and locked over this aperture communication is shut off between the valve body and the gate carrying dome, so that said dome may then be disconnected from the valve body without shutting off the pressure in the pipe.

It will thus be seen that all the operations concerned with the insertion of the valve in the pipe are completed without shutting off the pressure in the latter.

The present invention embodies other features of construction and arrangement of parts, including valve seats adjustably mounted on the valve body so that they may be adjusted longitudinally of the pipe beyond its rough ends where the pipe section has been removed, thus avoiding contact between the faces of'the valves and such rough ends.

In theaccompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment oi. the present in provements- Figure 1 is a cross section of a pipe havingapplied to it a cutting mechanism and a horizontally arranged valve body enclosing the pipe and also enclosing and supliiorting the cutting mechanism, this valve body having an open end projecting beyond the pipe and to which a temporary casing is applied containing means for operating the cutting mechanism and for withdrawing-it and the severed section of pipe from the valve body into said casing, the valve body being also provided with a temporary dome having a vertically movable gate for opening and closing communication between the valve bedy and said casing and with means for closing communication between the valve body and the gate carrying dome,

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the '1 line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a cross section similar to Figure 1 but with the open end of the valve body closed, by means of a vertically movablegate and with the casing carrying the pipe cutting of their seats in the valve body,

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line 44 of Figure 3, with the valve members moved to closing position,

Figure 5 is a cross section showing the valve dome on a slightly enlarged scale and with its valve disks slightly advanced across the faces of their seats in the valve body,

FigureG is'a detail view, in vertical section and partly broken away, of a gate for closing the open end of the valve body after the withdrawal therefrom of the cutting mechanism and severed pipe section and while the casing carrying the pipe cutting mechanism is being removed and until it is replaced by the valve dome,

Figure 7 is a vertical section also on an enlarged scale illustrating the aperture in the ,valve body through which this gate moves and also a plate for covering this aperture when this gate and the dome in which it is means for so moving it, and

Figure 9 is a detail on an enlarged scale of a portion of one of the valve seats in the valve body.

Referring to said drawingsA represents the valve body, which is mounted on and partially surrounds the pipe to which the valve is to be applied. 66 hereinafter described is the valve dome. The valve body anddome when connected constitute the valve casing. The valve body is preferably in two parts, 1, 2, secured together by bolts 4 passing through flanges 3, and is of a length sufficient to not only span the section 5 which is to be severed from the pipe but to also extend back of the severed ends 6, 7, of the pipe so as to receive suitable packing 7 between it and the pipe and to carry and support, among other things, the valve seats and the mechanism (later described) for moving said valve seats lengthwise of the pipe and adjusting them to proper position withrelation to the cut ends thereof and the valve disks in casing 66.

The part 2 of the valve body A is open at one end, to one side of the pine, and at this open end, which projects beyond the side of the pipe, it is provided with a flange 8 for temporarily receiving a casing 9 carrying the means for operating the pipe cutting mechanism and which is provided with a flange 10 secured to flange 8 by bolts 11, and

menses to permit them to be passed around the pipe. These gear heads carry suitable cutters 16 by which the pipe section is cut out of the pipe.

Any desired number of cutters maybe em- "ter is threadedand these star, wheels are turnedsuccessively, asthe gear heads rotate, by engagement with a projection 16 for the purpose of advancing the cutters into the pipe as the cutting progresses. These gear heads a-re'rotated to'eii'ect the cutting by a pinion 1? mounted on one end of a stud 18 carried in a yoke 19 connectedwith the frame 14. This yoke 19 also carries a short shaft 20 having a squared end 21. Mounted on the stud 18, at the end oppositethe pinion 17, is a gear 22 which meshes with a driving pinion-23 on the Stud 20'. "The pinion 23 is driven from a shaft 24'which at its inner end has a socket to take the squared end 21 of shaft 20, so as to rotate this shaft and through it pinion 23. The

shaft 24 at its'other end extends through a r 25 stufiing box 25 carried in a bonnet 26 which preferably is separate from casing9 and securedthereto soas to be water tight by draw bolts 30. This shaft outside the frame is provided with agear 31, which meshes-with a gear 32 carried on a short'shaft 33 mounted in the bonnet 26,this shaft 33 being rotated by a hand crank 34, or in any other-suitable manner. a

By operating the handle 34 the cutter gears are rotated and the pipe section 5 may be cut from the pipe, the gears being proportioned so as to produce the required power at the cutter gears with a minimum of effort on the crank;

It will Q be understood" that this cutting mechanismis first applied tothe pipe and then operated to partly sever the pipe, that the valve body A is then applied thereto,

that the valve body and easing 9 are then bolted together, that the cutting mechanism is then set into operation, and that when the section 5 has been severed thereby frombody, but before this is done a gate 50 (later on more. fully described), is lowered across the open end of the valve body to prevent the flow of water therefrom, this gate remaining inithis' closing position until, the application of the valve dome 66 to said casing, as hereinafter described, when it is withdrawn. j'

It will thus be observed that the body A isnot' only a valve body but performs the additional function of supporting the cut ting mechanism during the cutting operaremovably secured, by)

extends one end of a shaft 36, this shaft being secured in the recess by a nut 37. This shaft at its other end passes through a stuffing box 38 in the bonnet 26, before 7 referredto, and beyond the stuffing box exten'ds'through a sleeve 39, the shaft being threaded for a suitable portion of its length, as shown at 40, and on this threaded por tion works a hand wheel: 41 having a threaded nut portion 42bearing against the sleeve 39. -By operating this hand wheel 41 the shaft 36 is moved endwise outwardly in a horizontal direction and through the connections described thecutting mechanism withdrawn thereby from valve body A, and into casing 9, and as this cutting mech anism encloses the pipesection 5 which has been cut off, the latter will also be similarly withdrawn. The cutter carrying frame 14 carrying the geared heads is provided with guides 43 co-operating with upperand lower guiding and supporting ribs 44 formed in the interior of the-valve body and, if desired, there may be provided rollers 45 runningon the surface of the lower ribs 44 to facilitate the movement of the parts from the valve "body." V

After the cutting mechanism has been withdrawn, with the cut pipe section 5, to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the open end of the valve body A is closed by lowering plate into place against a seat in part 2-so that the casing 9 may be removed whilethe pipe is under pressure and the valvedome 66 carrying the valve disks and trimmings secured thereto. Plate. 50is then withdrawn to permit the. move-' ment of the valve disks across and against their seats; For effectingthese operations of the gate 50 there is provided a dome 46 bolts 47, to a plate 48 secured in turn,'by the part2 of the valve body In this dome is mounted, so as to work vertically, the closing gate 50 which is in the form of a plate dimensioned to close the open. end of the valve body (see Fig 6),this plate work-- ing through an aperture or slot 52 formed in part 2 of the valve body and the plate 48, before referred to. The gate is formed on its inner side with wedge surfaces 53 which co-operate with wedges 54 formed in the valvev body to force the gate to its seat,

which may be formed in the'portion 2 of the valve body A in any approved manner. As shown, this seat is of Babbitt metal held in place by being poured into dove-tail reolts 49, to the top .of

Q cesses 55; For raising and lowering it, the

gate 50 is provided at its upper end with a threaded nut or projection 57 through which [passes a threaded operating shaft 58, which being operated by a hand wheel 66. turning this wheel the shaft passing through a stuffing box 59 afid y gate is raised or loweredas desired.

After the valve dome 66 has been applied to valve body A, as hereinafter described, the gatecarrying dome 46 is removed but, prior to its removal, it is necessary to permanently close the aperture 52, but as this dome is in communication with the valve body and the pipe, the pressure in the latter would have to be shut olf unless means were provided for rendering this unecessary, as is done in the present case. For this purpose there is provided a plate 61 which slides be tween the outer surface of part 2 of the valve body and the under surface of the plate 48 111 a frame F (Fig. 8) whose side 63 provides an abutment or stop for the gate in its forward or apertureclosing position as shown in Fig.

.7. This plate 61 may be moved intoposition by means of screw rods 64 working in the side 62 of theframe and operable from outside the dome 46. After the plate 61 has been moved to closing position and dome 46 has been removed, the opening of the plate 48 registering with aperture 52 may be closed by a cap 65.

After the section 5 has been cut from the pipe and removed from the valve body A, and the gate 50 closed, as hereinbefore described, the valve dome 66, carrying the valve disks and trimmings, is put in position upon, and permanently secured to,; the valve body, by means of flange 67 on the former and the flange 8. on the latter and draw bolts 68 conmeeting them. It will be observed that the valve casing, consisting-of the valve body A and dome 66, thus connected together, lie

ina plane at an angle to the vertical, and preferably in a horizontal plane, so that it will be as. far below the ground as the pipe and freezing of the valvetherefore avoided.

The valve seats 67, 68 (see Figs. 2 and 3), mounted in the'valve body, are in they form of split rings so thatthey may be put around the pipe, these rings being placed around the pipe just back of the cutting lines and each havinga seating face 69 and a threadvalve body. With this construction a very simple and easily adjustable valve seat is provided, which can be easily moved into seating position after the out has been made. One r-esult or advantage of this is that the valve seats may be positioned back of the lines of cut during the cutting operation to prevent any injury to them and after the cutting is completed they may be moved endwise along the pipe into the desired position rotated, causes the valve disks 7 8, 79 to move to and from the valve body A, so as to open communication between the two out ends ofv the pipe. .These disks have bronze facings 80 to ensure intimate contact between them and the valve seats 67, 68, which are of similar material. Spindle 77 passes through a st-utfing box 81, in the end of the valve dome 66, and into a gear casing 82 slidably sup ported 011 bolts 83 secured to a flange 84 on the dome. The end of the spindle 77 in the casing 82 is provided with a bevelled gear 85 which meshes with a bevelled gear 86 on a vertical spindle or'stud 87 provided with a nut 88 through which it may be turned by a wrench or in any other suitable manner.

This spindle 77 is of suflicient length to movethe valve disks 7 8, 79 the full extent of their opening and closing movement and, because of the space occupied by the closing. gate 5-0, the spindle must be slightly longer than the distaneerequired for this full opening and closing movement. To provide for this difference and at the same time allow the parts to be positioned so that the valve dome 66 may be put into position before the withdrawal of the gate 50, the bolt arrangement 83 is resorted to.. As shown in Fig. 3, the gear casing 82 is at the outward limit of itsmovement on the bolts. After the gate 50 has been withdrawn the mechanism may be moved to the position shown in Fig. 5, in which the bracket 82 and valve disks and trimmings have been moved to the position shown in dotted linesin Fig. 3, with bracket 82 against flange 84, this movement being effected by pushing up the parts on the bolts 83 which may then be cut off, or shorter ones substituted. Preferably to ensure perfect tightness the spindle is provided with a pair of collars 89, 90, which seat respectively in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5, in recesses 91, 92 formed in the stuffing box 81, before referred to, and when the spindle is operated the collar .90

prevents endw-isemovement of the spindle.

or shaft 7L7. Withinthe valve dome 66 a end withinturnedends 94: (see Fig. 4) and an opposed boss or projection 95, the nut 93 being enclosed between the ends 9& andthe I boss ,95. As the spindle 77 is rotated the nut '93 is moved and through it the valve disks are caused to travel forwardly and rearwardly, as may be, and open orclose communication,between the two ends of the pipe, the rotation. of the disks and nut being prevented by the valve seats and also by guiding ribs'96 formed in the dome 66 in position to engage the outer sides of the valve disks. The valve diskoperating mechanism will also, include a controlling mechanism which will help seat the valve disks and holdthem to their seats against water pressure, this controlling mechanism being of such character. that the disks may be released so that they may be moved bodily by the spindle across the faces of the valve seats to open communication between the ends of the pipes. This controlling mechanism consists of a pair of. arms 97, 98, which are pivotally mounted on pins'99 carried by projections 100 from the nut 93, before referred to, so that asthe nut is moved forwardly or rearwardly'these arms97 an'd'98 aremoved therewith. These arms are provided with inclined toes 101, which co-operate with inclined projections 102 formed on the inner walls of the valve body A, before referred to, in'the path of the movement of the arms 97 and 98 which tend to engageand force said arms inwardly toward each other as they move forwardly.

At their lower ends and approximately in line with their pivot points, each of the arms il 'bers 103 will always have a broad bearing engagement with the inclined projections 97 and 98 is provided on opposite sides'with inclined members 103 which co-act with correspondingly inclined projections 104 formed on the inner faces of the valve disks 78 and 79, before referred to, so that in whatever position the arms may assume when swinginginwardly by engagement of toes 101 with inclined projections 102, the inclined mem- 104, the result of this being to secure a sliding movement of the valve disks to their seats 5 and to ensure seating. of the disks against "tendency of water to open them.

If desired, stops, as threaded screws 105 may be provided passing through the part 1 of valve body A againstwhich the edges of the valve disks contact, these stops being set heavy, rollers 106 may be provided for easily guiding thedisks to and from opening and closing position, these rollers being carried on ibrackets 107 depending from the valve disrs. I Y

It will thus beseen that a very simple and efficient construction has been provided for inserting a valve in a pipe in which all the operations of cutting the pipe, inserting the valve and removing temporarycasi-ngsa-re effected without shutting off the flowor in any other way interfering withthe pressure inthe pipe, the valve body A being positioned so ihat t is on a level with the pipe, thus permitting it to be of sufficient depth under ground to pervent freezing, and so that it may be put in position without leaving an .obstruction abovethe pipe orground. It will also be observed that during the cutting operationthe cuttingmechanism is supported by the \valve body itself and also that while the cutting mechanism is being withdrawn from the valve :body into the temporary casing containing the means for operating it, it is supported and guided by suitable means for the purpose provided in the valve body and in said casing. It will also be observed that by reason of the provision in I the valve'body of the seats adjustable lengthwise-of the pipe all danger of contact between thefaces of the valves with the .rough ends of the severed pipe isavoided which in turn avoids injury to thevalves.

While the invention has been shown and described in its preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the specific construction, arrangementand method of operation of the parts, and that the invention is not to be restricted to the precise construction and arrangement shownand described.

1. The method of inserting valve mechanism in a pipe without shutting off the flow of fluid therein including the steps of applying a rotary pipecutter to said pipe to cut a section transversely therefrom, permanently securing to said pipe a valve body having airopen end projecting in a substantially horizontal direction beyond the side of the pipe and provided with endwi se adjustable valve seats, temporarily applying to said valve body a.,vertically arranged dome bearing agate movable acrossthe, open end of the'valvebody in an aperture near the end thereof, also, temporarily applyin to said valve body a casing in substantia horizon,- tal alinement therewith and havingmecha nism for rotating the cutter and outside means foroperating said mechanis1n,rotatingthe cutter around the pipe to cut a sectionQof the pipe, removing the cutter and cut pipe section from the valve body and into said casing, movingthe gate aforesaid across the open end of the valve body to temporarily close it, removing the casin tcontaining the cutter rotating mechanism, permanently securing to the open end of the valve body in substantial horizontal alinenient therewith a dome bearing a pair of valve disks and trimmings and means projecting therefrom for moving said disks and trimmings into the valve body and for moving said disks to and from the valve seats in the valve body, adjusting the valve seats relatively to the cut ends of the severed portion of the pipe and to their respective valve disks, withdrawing the temporary gate aforesaid from the aperture aforesaid, applying permanent clo sure means to the outer end of said aperture, and removing the dome bearing said gate.

2. The method of inserting valve mechanism in'a pipe without shutting OK the flow of fluid therein, including the steps of applying to the pipe a rotary pipe cutter to sever a :ection transversely therefrom and a'horiz-iontally arranged open-ended valve body provided with valve seats and projecting be-' yond the side of the pipe and provided with a vertical gate aperture near its open end,

bolting to said valve body a horizontally arranged casing opening into said valve body and carrying means for rotating the cutter and withdrawing it and the severed pipe section from the piperafter the cutting operation, mounting on the valve body a vertically arranged gate-carrying dome provided with a gate movable into and out of said gate aperture, rotating the cutter around the pipe to sever a section of pipewithdrawing the :cut pipe section and cutter from the valve body and into said casing, moving said gate into the aperture aforesaid to close the open I end of the valve body, removing said casing,

securing to the open end of the valve body in substantial horizontal alinement therewith a dome opening into said valve body and bearing a pair of valve disks and equipped with means for moving them into the valve body and to and from the valve seats therein, withdrawing the gate afore said from the aperture in the valve body, applying permanent closure means to said aperture, and removing the gate-carrying dome from the valve body. 7

3. In an apparatus for inserting valve mechanism in apipe, the combination with a horizontally arranged valve body enclosing the pipe and having an open end, of arotary pipe cutter within the valve body and rotatable around the'pipe to sever a section therefrom, a casing bolted to the open end of the valve body and provided with means for rotating said cutter and withdrawing it and the severed action of pipe from the valve body and into the casing, and means in the valve body and casing above and below the cutter for engaging and supporting it during the cutting operation and for supporting and guiding it and the severed pipe section during their withdrawal from the valve body.

4. In an apparatus for inserting a valve in a pipe without shuttingoii the flow of fluid therein, the combination with a'horizontally arranged valve body having valve seats and of said casing, said dome bearing valve disks and means for moving them into the valve body andto and from the valve seats therein, said valve body being also provided with a vertical aperture near its open end and with avertically arranged removable dome having a gateinovable into and out of said aperture to close the open end of the valve body to permit the removal of said casing from and theconnection of said valve dome with the valve body without shutting 03 the flow in the pipe, and means for permanently closing said aperture to permit the removal of the gate carrying dome without shutting ofi the flow in the pipe. v

In testimony whereof, I' have hereunto set my hand.-

' 'DENIS F. QBRIEN. 

